1 year Blog-a-versary!

I thought we could celebrate all celebrate with some cake! I found some pics of pretty cakes and wanted to share. These cakes are too pretty to eat. I really admire those who can decorate these beautiful cakes seen here. I can bake, but I can't do what these people have done. I'm a different kind of artist. If it deals with fabric or floss or lace, I'm your girl.

And here's more cake. Hope I "made" enough. Isn't this just too sweet?!

And even more cake! I almost couln't believe this was a cake and I'm totally amazed at the realism of it all. This cake really blows my mind.

I went back and counted up all the projects I've done over the last year and there are 25 and maybe 5 involved no smocking whatsoever. That's more than 2 a month and I work full-time. I've also taught 3 smocking classes and done smock-a-longs. I'd have to say I've accomplished quite a bit. I think I will give myself a pat on the back. Thanks for everyone's comments over the past year. I so appreciate your interest in what I'm up to. So here's to another fun filled year of smocking! Happy stitching everyone.

One Down, One to Go

"Daisy" from AS&E issue 89

The first pic was a little blurry, so I'm glad I took two. I had a nice day of sewing. I still need to do buttonholes. But I think I will do them at work tomorrow on my lunch break. In the magazine it shows the dress with a collar, but when I finished mine and held it up next to the dress, all I could think was that look terrible with the dress. So no collar. It's great when you sew, you can change your mind on a whim and go in a different direction if you want.
Next Tuesday I have the day off at work, so I will be sewing up another dress. We will be having our district manager, Lisa, visiting us. I love it when she visits. Everyone is so much more energetic. I think she infuses some life back into us.
Til next time, happy smocking everyone!

Teller at the Bank

Dress front size 4, sleeve with crocheted edging. Notice my pink pin cushion and my pretty rotary cutter.

Close up of smocking and ribbon daisies. Silk ribbon is from a shop here in Boise, Idaho called Fuzz. It's the only place here in town I can get silk ribbon or silk floss. I need to be able to match my colors. I just can't seem to do that over the internet.

This is the sleeve edging I crocheted, very sweet I think.

Here is a dress front using batiste and lovely beads. As you can see I haven't removed the pleater threads yet. I still need to back-smock on just below the top holding row. Maybe I will do that this weekend.

I've become friends with a lady at a banch here in Boise. She's my favorite teller and I've told her so. It doesn't mean I don't like the other teller, she's just my favorite. I think partly because her name is Janice and I'm a Jan. Similar names do make an instant bond I suppose. Anyway, I asked her about 6 wks ago if she had any granddaughters and yes she has two, 4 yrs and 1 yr. Well, when I heard that I said I thought I needed to make some dresses for them. And btw, the favorite color is pink. But I'm sure you knew I was going to say that. Tomorrow is a day off from my job at Hancock's, so I will spend some much needed time with the sewing machine stitching up the daisy dress.
Yesterday our air conditioner broke down. When the repair guy checked it out he found it was the heater that was broken. So we now have a new heater that's 93% effecient and a new coil in the air conditioner. My parents and I (we live in the same house.) now have a $1700 bill. But we will see a big drop in our electric bill. Hopefully it won't take long to pay it off. This weekend it is supposed to be 100* weather. Definitely not a good time for the air to be broke down. The fixit man said the other system was -85% effecient. But the electric bill should be much, much smaller. That's a really good thing.

A Baby Gown for the Fair

"Eternal Treasure" AS&E issue 57

I used white poly cotton batiste from Hancock Fabrics, DMC floss and beads from Craft Warehouse. Lace from Martha Pullen company.





Sorry I have not done my final pressing yet. That I will do just before taking it down to the Fair. Since my machine doesn't do double needle pintucks very nice, I have forgone the pinktucking and done a bunch of feather stitching, which  I don't have a problem with at all.



I don't have the button holes done yet, I'll probably finish those on my vacation in a couple of weeks. And I think I'm going to do some embroidered rosebuds in the ribbon beading to keep the ribbon from shifting around, that part is driving me batty! Can't have that, I need my sanity. I need to do a couple more things for the Fair. I'm thinking of an ensemble grouping. Kind of leaning towards a jacket/bonnet/dress/bloomer combo or maybe a dress/pinafore/bloomer combo. Maybe I will enter something in the embroidery category since they have chose to have less categories, but bigger payouts. We'll just have to see what my brain comes up with are what catches my fancy. Until next time, happy stitching eveyone!

A Dress For a Friend

AS&E issue 90

Smock plate is "Wild At Heart"

I feel like it's been ages since I've done regular posts to my blog. So anyway, this fabric is from Hancock Fabrics. We have lots of rose prints right now, which is right up my alley. And of course, most are pink prints, yeah! There are loads of prints I want right now, but I am holding myself down to just getting my favorites. I seem to find bunches of fabrics I just can't live without. I know all you sewing girls have the same affliction. But it's not one you'd want to change. More enabling please!

On the dress, I used sleeves from "Indigo Child", which is more suitable to an 8 yr. old little girl. I used the pattern pieces from Gail Doane's book Cute As a Button. I love being able to interchange most pattern pieces in AS&E. It makes designing the perfect dress some much more fun.

The lady I gave dresses for each of her granddaughters was thrilled and that makes me very happy. She gave them the dresses on Father's Day. She said happy daughters would be her present to her son that day. I told her to let them wear the dresses whenever they wanted. I DON'T want the dresses to decorate the closet. Starting tomorrow, I have a 4 day weekend from work, yeah! So I will be doing lots of sewing. Mostly for me and my daughter, Rachelle. Since it is now summer weather, I just have to have some new work skirts and blouses. I really tired of wearing the same two skirts and blouses. I will post some new pics of me in my new togs :) Here's to a wonderful time of sewing and smocking to everyone. Happy stitching!

My Promise

Here's my new ironing board cover, isn't it fun?! I loved this print for over a year. It's available from Hancock Fabrics. I'm lovin' my new again ironing board cover. Yes, I'm pressing some cotton lace for the gown I was starting to work on for the Fair, which is now almost finished. It just needs buttons.
I've most finished another dress and I have to say that you're gonna love it. I made it for a very nice customer who had become a friend over the last year. She had two granddaughters age 8. I was happy to find out their age, since I've had a dress hanging in my closet of goodies for almost a year now. I couldn't just give only one dress. So I've stitched a pink dress and the one in the closet is purple. What princess could ask for more I tell you. Of course both have blingly crystals on them. I just wish I would be there in person to take a pic when gramma gives them their dresses. I just live for moments like those!
On another topic, I hope blogger gets the comment problems taken care soon. I have some blogs I follow but can't post comments on. It's frustrating. Okay, everyone, until next time. Keep smocking!

What's Up Next

Items for the Fair, of course! This is the time of the year I start into my projects for the state fair. This year they have new people in charge of the sewing category, so they've changed the category a little. They only have one thing open to smocking (boo-hiss). Well, I think I'm going to sneak some smocking into other things if it will be allowed. Like a party dress and the christening gown I'm currently working on.
A couple of mishaps on the gown. First, I stabbed my finger while stitching one of the bullions roses and got a couple drops of blood next to the back button band. That send me running to the bathroom and quickly rinsing that area under cold water. Then I grabbed Gramma's Secret Spot Remover (which I use on all stains now) and a few minutes later . . . . the blood was gone. Thank goodness, I would have cried if I couldn't get that out. Next thing to happen was a couple days ago some of the lace on the skirt tore and so I had to do a little repair work on that. I'm not sure how that will affect my chances at the fair, we'll just have to wait and find out.
Yesterday at work, one of the ladies who works in the fair office came in. We chatted for a few minutes. She asked if I had all my things finished, I said no I'm just getting started. She told me some people are not happy with the new ladies in charge and they think everything will be terrible. I said not neccessarily. I think they are just being negative. It will definitely bring a fresh perspective to the sewing category. I do have to say I think only having one smocking choice is a downer. But like I said, I'm going to try to sneak some smocking into some other things I don't submit in smocking.
Other things I'm sewn up in the past couple weeks are"
A new ironing board cover. (I'll post a pic next time, it's a pretty one)
New chair pad for the computer chair I'm sitting on right now. (It's not so pretty, just functional.)
Well, I'm off work today and tomorrow, yeah! I'm going cut out some jammies for my daughter and myself from some super soft cotton/lycra blend fabric I got from Hancock Fabrics for only $2.95. I just love the fabric and the price that I got everything left on the bolt, 5 2/3yds. Lots of pjs for Rachelle and I!
Happy sewing and smocking everyone!